Curriculum Development and Course Design

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Slavi Stoyanov, PhD in instructional technology of the University of Twente, is currently with the faculty of Educational Sciences,  the department of Technology-Enhanced Learning Innovation of Open University of The Netherlands. His research interests include design for learning, individual differences in learning, and technology-enhanced learning. Stoyanov is a recognised expert in Group Concept Mapping research methodology.

He contributed with papers to the first and second editions of The EMPOWER Envisioning Report, namely: ‘Designing MOOC: a shared view on didactical principles’ and ‘Model-driven design for learning with learning analytics’.

PhD in Economic and Business Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid (outstanding "cum laude"). Accredited as a Profesor Colaborador (ANECA) and Profesor Contratado Doctor (ACAP), he has been a professor at different universities since leaving the private company. Since 2000 he has worked at UNED, is currently coordinator of the subject Mathematics II (Business Degree), Game Theory (Postgraduate of Research in Economics) and directs three postgraduate courses in Lifelong Training. He is the author of articles in international journals, books on calculus, finance and stock exchange, has directed doctoral theses and has participated for twelve years in various teaching innovation projects funded by the European Commission. 

Experience in Curriculum Development and Course Design

•  Lifelong Training postgraduate courses at UNED developed and designed by Alfonso Herrero de Egaña whom is or has been director and teacher in all of the below-mentioned postgraduate courses.
•  Master's Degree in Stock Markets and Financial Derivatives. Since year 2000 to present.
•  Master’s degree in Financial Engineering. Course offered in alternate years since 2017.
• Course in Entrepreneurship. Course offered until 2018.
• Master of Arts in Economics. Since year 2004 to present. 
   Master's degree in Business Valuation and Analysis. Course offered in alternate years since 2019.

Inma is the Director of Postgraduate Research Studies in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies at the Open University in the United Kingdom. She is also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK. She has over 30 years' experience teaching Modern Languages and Dance courses at higher education institutions in the USA, UK and Spain. Inma has contributed to the development of face to face, blended and distance learning programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Inma has also extensive experience designing print, audio-visual and online materials for formal contexts, as well as Open Educational Resources for informal learners. Alvarez has also been leading teacher and supervisor training programmes to support the effective delivery of the curriculum via innovative learning environments. She has been involved in many scholarly and research projects, including the development of electronic portfolios for adults and a integrated approach to curriculum design to foster students employability.

Inma contributed to the following reports:

Alvarez, Inma., Fuertes Gutiérrez, Mara. and Bárkányi, Zsuzsanna. (2020) Supporting the teaching of pronunciation in the language curriculum. in Ubachs, George (ed.) The Envisioning Report for Empowering Universities (4th Edition). Maastricht, The Netherlands, European Association of Distance Teaching Universities, pp.12-14.

Lindsay, Hilary. and Alvarez, Inma. (2019) A Framework for the development of Researching Professionals. in Ubachs, George (ed.) The Envisioning Report for Empowering Universities (3rd Edition). Maastricht, The Netherlands, European Association of Distance Teaching Universities, pp.35-37.

Álvarez, Inma (2018). A learning-centred blended model for professional doctorates. In: Ubachs, George and Konings, Lizzie eds. The Envisioning Report for Empowering Universities (2nd Edition). Maastricht, The Netherlands: European Association of Distance Teaching Universities, pp. 34–36.

Dr. Ellen Rusman is Associate Professor at the faculty of Educational sciences – the faculty of education and research on learning, teaching and technology of the Open University of the Netherlands. She is an expert in (seamless) learning design, networked learning and technology-enhanced learning. From August 2019 till January 2020 she fulfilled the role of programme leader (ad interim) of the Technology Enhanced Learning and Innovation (TELI) research group. She currently heads the group on Mobile & Seamless Learning design. A common thread in her work is connecting people and their experiences in different (learning) contexts through (mobile) technology, so that learning knowledge and skills becomes more meaningful, appropriate, fun, effective and efficient. She has a broad experience in acquiring, working on and leading large national and international TELI design research projects. She won the Dutch national Best research and practice award 2019 with the Viewbrics-project, in which an (online) method to acquire complex skills supported by video-enhanced rubrics was developed and studied. She is a fellow of  ICO and SIKS research schools in the Netherlands and has published extensively in international journals. She gained several awards and prices, both with her scientific work (e.g. best paper/presentation awards), as well with (research) project outcomes (e.g. European Language Label and Nuffic Orange Carpet Award with ELENA, a mobile game-based scenario for supporting early language learners). In her projects Ellen loves to work closely with different stakeholders, e.g. teachers, learners (students, pupils) and employers. She highly values and balances both the scientific as well as the practical relevance of initiated projects.

Ellen contributed to the EMPOWER network both via the visionary report as well as through webinars in the thematic weeks:

Rusman, E. (2020). Mobile and Seamless learning design: support of continuous learning processes in (higher) distance education. Webinar during the EMPOWER Blended and online education week, 7-9 April, 2020. Available online: https://www.slideshare.net/EADTU/seamless-learning-empower-by-ellen-rusman and https://empower-new.eadtu.eu/events/repository

Rusman, E. (2018). Viewbrics: mirroring and mastering complex generic skills with video enhanced rubrics through a technology-enhanced formative assessment methodology. Webinar during the EMPOWER e-Assessment week. Available online: https://www.slideshare.net/EADTU/empower-eassessment-week-viewbrics and https://empower-new.eadtu.eu/events/repository

Bidarra, J., & Rusman, E. (2017). Key Pedagogical and Technological Factors for Effective Blended Learning Design. In: G. Ubachs, L. Konings (2017). The Envisioning Report for Empowering Universities, EMPOWER/EADTU/Erasmus+. Heerlen: EADTU.

Uninettuno developed and evolves its own organizational and didactic models for course design and delivery through a research-driven approach: experimentation/prototyping - piloting - large scale roll out. One of the main components of Uninettuno delivery model is the provision of environments and activities for interactive and collaborative learning. The webinar will briefly introduce Uninettuno models, focusing then on the process that led to evolve the "Virtual Classroom" system in an "Interactive Class" system (experimentation - piloting - large scale roll out), and on the psychopedagogy-centered approach adopted for the definition of teaching/learning model framework for all the actors of the teaching/learning process. By Alessandro Caforio (UNINETTUNO)

More successful and efficient teaching and learning can profit from the use of Internet and Communication Technologies. Their use in and outside the classroom can provide more supportive and successful learning opportunities, teacher and peer support, as well as innovation in course design. Blended Learning course design is one of the ways of achieving this. This webinar will focus first on general philosophies of teaching and learning specifically applied to blended learning design, which will contribute to more successful learning and greater satisfaction of learners and teachers. Using the course design model for the author's blended learning courses as an example, the talk will show how the Blended Learning concept is integrated into a curriculum at a traditional university and how it can also be used to promote communities of practice among learners. Ultimately, these factors will lead to better skills, content, and language learning. By Eric Brewster (Johannes Kepler University Linz)